Bloom wrench



July 16, 1946. o, STARR 2,404,107

BLOOM WRENCH Filed Nov. 18, 1944 ZSnnentor 6 7 Gttornel Patented July 16, i946 BLOOM WRENCH Hugh 0. Starr, Steubenville, Ohio, assignor to National Steel Corpo Delaware Application November 18, 1944, Serial 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an apparatus for turning an elongated heavy body, such as a steel bloom, billet, plate, or the like about its longitudinal axis.

It is often necessary to treat successively the various longitudinal side surfaces of a heavy body, such as a steel bloom. For example, in the steel mill the top surface of a supported steel bloom, weighing many tons, may be scarfed by directing a voluminous stream of oxygen at an acute angle against the surface to remove imperfect metal. After the top surface has been scarfed, the bloom must be turned over to position a different surface uppermost for treatment. It has been customary in the past to turn these heavy steel bodies by means of hooks and chains connected to a hoist which are relatively awkward, cumbersome and time consuming to operate.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel apparatus for readily turning such heavy bodies about their longitudinal axes. It is also an object to provide a wrench which is readily placed in an operating position on such a body, which will turn the body the desired amount, and which is economical to construct.

We have developed an economical and highly eflicient apparatus for turning an elongated steel body about its longitudinal axis. The apparatus comprises a wrench plate having an opening through which the steel body extends when in the operative position, the wrench plate being adapted to selectively engage a hoist member so that when the hoist is raised, the steel body is turned about its longitudinal axis through the desired number of degrees. This turning apparatus can be readily positioned on the body and the hoist can be relatively easily and successively connected to different points on the wrench plate so as to turn the steel body and successively present the different side surfaces in the upper position for treatment.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when considering the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a supported steel bloom with the apparatus embodying the present invention in position for turning the bloom;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the wrench plate shown in Figure 1; and,

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a modified wrench plate for turning square bodies.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the steel bloom 5 having an upper surface 6, two

ration, a corporation of side surfaces 1 and 8, and a bottom surface 9, is supported on cross bars Ill. The bloom 5 may be supported by any suitable means but is ,preferably so supported that the end portion of the bloom 5 is free to have a wrench plate I I placed thereon in an operative position. The wrench plate It has an opening l2 therein that is the same size and shape as the cross sectional area of the bloom 5 and includes a plurality of hook openings l3.

Each hook opening I3 is spaced from and substantially mid-way of the corresponding side of the opening l2 and a corresponding longitudinal surface of the steel bloom 5. A hoist hook I4 is selectively engageable with one of the hook openings l3 and is connected to a hoist chain l5, which is, in turn, connected to any suitable type of a power-actuated hoist, not shown.

Referring more particularly to Figure 3, the wrench plate l6 includes a square body-engaging opening I! and four hook openings l8. Each hook opening I 8 is spaced from and. substantially mid-way of the correspondingside of the opening l1, The wrench plate I6 is constructed for tuming square bodies.

After the upper surface 6 of the bloom 5 has been scarfed or otherwise treated, the wrench plate .1 l is placed over the end of the bloom 5 substantially as shown in Figure 1. If it is desired to turn the bloom through 90 about its longitudinal axis and position surface 1 uppermost, the hook I4 is connected to the opening I3 which is spaced from the corresponding -side surface I. The chain hoist I5 is then raised by the hoist, not shown, to rotate the bloom 5 through 90 to the position indicated in broken lines on Figure 1. If it is desired to rotate the bloom 5 so as to dispose. the side surface 8 or the bottom surface 9 in the upper position, then the hoist hook I4 is engaged in the hook opening corresponding to that surface. Raising the hoist chain I 5 will then turn the bloom 5 about its longitudinal axis until the particular surface 8 or 9 is in the upper position.

The wrench plate 18 is placed on a square body to turn the body in the same manner as described for the wrench plate I I of Figures 1 and 2.

The wrench .plate is readily placed in position on the end of the steel body and will quickly and accurately turn the body the desired amount, and can be economically made from scrap pieces of steel.-

The hook openings l3 and I8 are shown as being spaced from and substantially mid-way of the corresponding sides of the body-engaging opening I 2 or H. The hook opening need not be exactly mid-way of the corresponding side of the body-engaging opening but is preferably in such a position or the body will be slightly tilted when rotated. The hoist may be connected to the wrench plate at a point spaced from the corresponding side of the body-engaging opening by means other than a hook engaged in a hook opening. For example, a bolt and nut may be used for connecting the end of the hoist chain to the wrench .plate. For very long steel bodies, it may be desirable at times to employ two wrench plates, one at each end of the steel body. Normally, one wrench plate is suflicient.

While the apparatus disclosed in the drawing is adaptedfor turning rectangular bodies, it is obvious that the apparatus can be modified for turning bodies of other cross-sectional shapes by changing the size and shape of the body-engaging opening and the number and location of the hook openings.

I claim:

Apparatus for turning a rectangular steel body about its longitudinal axis, said apparatus comprising a wrench plate; a rectangular opening in said member and through which the steel body extends when the wrench plate is in the operative position; and four other openings in said member, each of said other openings being spaced from and positioned substantially mid-way of the corresponding side of said rectangular opening; and being adapted for selective engagement with a hoist member so that upon actuation of the hoist it will raise said hoist member and turn said wrench plate and said body.

HUGH 0'. STARR. 

